Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEPHI, Juab County — The Beehive State is adding yet another inland port, this time in Juab County.
The Utah Inland Port Authority's board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the Central Utah Agri-Park Project Area. The objective of the fifth and latest project area is aimed at improving the future outlook for Utah's family farms, economy and food security.
"The Central Utah Agri-Park adds a critical piece to the puzzle in meeting Utah Inland Port Authority's statutory mission to support and maximize long-term economic benefits for the state of Utah," said Danny Stewart, economic development director of the Utah Inland Port Authority.
Juab County Commissioner Clinton Painter said that the latest project area was born out of necessity and the realization that the region had a problem with food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic; the Agri-Park will be open to businesses in agriculture and agriculture-adjacent business fields.
The preliminary phases of the project are being supported by the Six County Association of Governments, including Sanpete, Juab, Wayne, Millard, Piute and Sevier counties, though authority leaders and local agricultural producers alike agreed that the project area would benefit producers throughout the state.
The Central Utah Agri-Park Project area would include "both rail and highway infrastructure that empower the production, processing, storage and transportation of goods both within Utah and outside markets," says the authority's website.
Painter said that the goal of the area is to "save the family farm."
"This is what our state was built upon and we want to be able to provide avenues where they can continue their productions right here in Utah. They don't have to send their cattle out of state for processing and then come back again (for cattle) to be sold," Painter said.
Joining the Six County Association of Governments in supporting the project are the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Utah food producer groups, Utah Department of Transportation, Utah's water agencies, federal and state land agencies, private sector entities and others.
Zack Jensen, owner of M&K Farms in Centerfield, said that the latest project area will help him "create a market to the world."
"What this park can do with farming is make it where you can grow grain crops, you can ship them out of the state (and) you can keep them locally," Jensen said. "There's countless things that this will do for producers in our area."
Utah Sen. Derrin Owens, R-Fountain Green, said that he believes the Agri-Park will be a way for rural Utah to help "relieve some of the pressure off the Wasatch Front and help with food security."
Owens also echoed Painter's point that the project will help keep family farms together and give young farmers a reason to stay in the state and stay in the agriculture industry.
"I hope in 25 years when it's my time to maybe pass on the torch to the next generation, there's something worth being there for and worth the time (and) the effort that's put into it," Jensen said. "I think a good success story for the Agri-Park would be when we can go to the grocery store and you can find a stamp that says 'grown in Utah, packaged in Utah.'"
